Category Archives: Transformation

Big data and predictive real-time analytics are critical dimensions of technology which have wide applicability across industries. IDC forecasts the big data technology and services market to become a USD 41.5 billion business through 2018. This market is growing with a CAGR of six times faster than the overall IT market and the growth rate of data and information has been incredible. As per IBM, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is generated every day from the internet, posts on social media sites, emails, ecommerce transactions, website contents, videos, digital photos, sensors and more. All this, with only 41% of the world connected to the internet. Imagine the colossal amount of data that will be generated when the entire world is online and hundreds of billion devices become connected through the Internet of Things, IoT.

The key to harnessing the true potential of advancements in computer, network and storage technologies is software centric, and software is key to growth in all industries. The power of software-led big data is the ability to mine meaningful insights from the deluge of information around us.

Big data has the immense potential to impact individual health. In the 12 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, there has been an exponential reduction in the cost of genome sequencing, to the extent that it now costs approximately USD 1,000 for a single genome sequencing and will certainly cost less than USD 100 by the end of this decade. Genome sequencing is being leveraged by life sciences companies to create personalized medicine for an individual with a specific disease. Creating personalized medicine based on the individual’s DNA and other related conditions will have a significantly higher rate of success in a cure and wellness. It will not only reduce the cost of care but, more importantly, increase treatment accuracy, one patient at a time.

Another relevant area where big data and real-time analytics could play a huge role is in agriculture and farming. Amazing results could be derived by combining the power of big data to face the challenges of growing enough food to feed increasing populations, reducing waste, and creating a sustainable and eco-friendly future. By 2050, the world will have 9+ billion people and to generate enough food, we must not only produce substantially more, but we must also produce them with smart/precision agriculture. Soil types vary widely from farm to farm, from region to region. The technology available today could combine years of data with advanced soil maps and upcoming weather patterns to predict farming conditions, enabling customized decisions to optimize yield. The insight from such data analysis could immensely help farm owners, more so in the developing and emerging countries where yield could be significantly improved while reducing substantial waste. Monsanto’s acquisition of Climate Corporation is an example of the way forward for smart agriculture. Smart/precision agriculture is the future, and big data with predictive analytics is the tool to improve yield, one acre at a time.

Software is omnipresent across manufacturing industries and has become the biggest investment areas for several companies. As per Jeffery Immelt, GE CEO, “The industrial world is changing dramatically, and those companies that make the best use of data will be the most successful”. Manufacturing is one of the key sectors to have leveraged the use of sensors effectively and in many ways, proliferated the IoT. These sensors are now embedded in multiple devices and products, and capture constant streams of data. They are in simple devices such as wearable health trackers which capture wellness data, and are also in complex systems such as aircraft and automobiles which capture the maintenance and operational efficiencies of critical parts. Currently, an automobile has an average of 60-100 sensors (expected to increase to 200 by 2020) embedded across multiple subsystems, capturing real time data about performance. Combined with predictive analytics, big data can drive higher benefits at an individual level. For example, it can predict when to replace the fan belt as effectively and accurately as when to refill gas. It is the impact on each unit of car for each passenger that is the key advantage for big data and predictive analytics.

There are innumerable areas where big data is now, and in the future could be, leveraged to drive transformational benefits across all sectors and industries. Digital and mobile are mainstream, and the data set will continue to increase with an ever-increasing momentum as the world continues to onboard the internet and IoT. The advantages and impacts of big data are when its benefit can be applied to a person, a unit or an instance, one at a time. That is when its massive power comes together to deliver real value.

On a recent flight, I had an engaging conversation with the CEO of a large global company. After broadly discussing the business environment and how he is leading his organization through the changes taking place globally, I asked him about some of the current issues and challenges that he is currently focused on. Among the top 3 mentioned were:
– technology is the business now, not just the enabler;
– bridging the skill gap required for his vision of the company; and
– pushing the team to learn to ask the right questions with customers, partners and suppliers.
It was the last one that caught my attention as I was intrigued by the behavioral issue he had raised, “Are we asking the right questions to learn and listen more, build collaborative solutions or are we just putting out there about what we know”? Read more

The middle of this decade is here. Much has been achieved in the first half and much more is expected from the second. While there are several key areas of focus which deserve attention and can create impact as we look into the next 5 years, the following 5 are the pivotal themes in my view. Each of them, on their own, has the mega potential to transform the world. Read more

Last week I visited one of the top universities in the US, renowned for its educational programs and world class research facilities. All the meetings were pre-planned, well organized and proceeded as per the schedule. It was a phenomenal experience to be with some of the brightest minds and discuss, debate and learn from them. It was also extremely insightful to see the labs with experiments in next gen technology and human interface, among several new ideas. There is just so much to absorb and learn from the university environment. Walking the halls of these magnificent buildings is always refreshing and rejuvenating. It is amazing how these iconic institutions, year after year, continue producing some of the sharpest minds, bringing new thinking and new ideas, and constantly innovating. Read more

Marc Andreessen stated, “software is eating the world” in his article for WSJ in August 2011. Looking around us, it is easy to see every facet of our lives, both personal and professional, being impacted by the power of software. Software is pivotal to the growth of most new and emerging industry segments. Even mature industries such as agribusiness, mining, construction, industrial manufacturing, automobiles, aerospace, etc. have been changed by the power of software, and the healthcare industry is no exception. The healthcare industry is responsible for saving and enhancing the lives of people, even if the outcome in some cases is not certain. Although the healthcare industry has been leveraging the power of software, it is high time that software took center stage to tackle the industry’s complexities and achieve the key objective of delivering effective care at the most optimum cost. Read more